The Polyphonic Spree

There’s a moment of loving the new Polyphonic Spree album, Together We’re Heavy, when you make a psychic connection between the nasal sound of front-man Tim DeLaughter’s voice with an icon of the 1970s: Kermit the Frog. Suddenly the whole 20-something crew of orchestral multi-instrumentalists morph into Muppets, and one can only fantasise about the on-stage transformation that could occur on an episode of The Muppet Show. This Texas collective has managed to harness their acid-casualty in white robes vibe into a huge, sweeping epic of sound that swings and swoops with every turn, like Pink Floyd and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sharing a rehearsal space. They pull a connecting thread from their demo-quality debut The Beginning Stages of… by naming new songs in a continuing sequence — these ten songs are "Section 11” to "Section 20” of an ongoing recording effort. Sharp horns, delicate strings and of course the soaring power of 20-some-odd voices swell, swirl and swoop through DeLaughter’s hymnal pop. It could easily turn into a mishmash mess, but someone Together We’re Heavy maintains the sloppy focus of their acclaimed live shows without losing the revival tent passion. It’s a remarkable accomplishment that will connect with anyone who believes in the transformative power of pop.